


The Travelers in Blue

by Blaze163



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Crossover, Explicit Language, Implied Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21981877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blaze163/pseuds/Blaze163
Summary: Dimitri awakes to find himself in a strange new place, wearing strange new clothes, with a strange new story. Or...was this the story he had all along? He sets out to find his path of vengeance, though perhaps it isn't really his own...A crossover of Octopath Traveler and the Blue Lions class that takes place one year after the end of Azure Moon. The major focus is on the Blue Lion/Three Houses characters, with minor characters of Octopath included for flavor.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This fic is a heavily Blue-Lions focused fic that just kind of shoves them into the world of Octopath. For all intents and purposes, this is a year after the end of Azure Moon and the major characters in Octopath are probably in post-war Faerghus while Byleth is desperately trying to understand WTF is going on. May make for a fun side fic. We'll see!

“Always the same dream…”

Dimitri clutched his head, pounding with pain and confusion. For a brief and horrifying second, everything seemed so terribly empty. He had no idea who he was, where he was, or what he was even doing in these…he looked down with revulsion at the utterly skimpy layer of clothing he had on. Did this qualify as dress anywhere in Fo-?

A pang racked through his head again, dropping the thought entirely. Where was he thinking of? His memory always went hazy after his dreams of that fateful incident ten years ago. Seeing his father killed, right in front of his eyes, his head cut off in front of his eyes while he was helpless to watch. And the culprits, gone without any retribution, leaving Duscur to-

Another pang racked his head. Duscur? Where was Duscur? Noblecourt had suffered most from those who bore the mark of the crow, surely, and none more than House Blayddid, which had fallen entirely at his father’s fall. Dimitri himself had left the house entirely to search out his father’s killers, which had unfortunately led him…well, here, in Sunshade. He received a tip that one of those who bore the mark of the crow sometimes frequented what Dimitri politely referred to as the tavern, where he performed as a “dancer” under…Helgenish? Yes, Helgenish was his name. Unfortunately, Dimitri’s talent as a dancer made him a more prized possession of the man who forced him and the other dancers to call him “Master”. The thought alone made Dimitri shudder.

“Oh, Dimitri. All rested up and ready to sell yourself again?” The words, as well as the titter of laughter accompanying them, came from the far corner of the room where the other, jealous dancers resided. To an extent, Dimitri pitied them. They were all treated worse for not being Helgenish’s prized possessions, receiving worse beatings and harsher language from the Master than Dimitri did. As a result, only one looked kindly up to him: a relatively new and soft-spoken young man named Glenn, who Dimitri knew from-

Dimitri gasped and clutched his head again as it exploded in pain, dashing the thought aside. Glenn? He had never met him before becoming a dancer under Helgenish, of course. Why would he have…but didn’t he die alongside his father? No, Dimitri’s father died alone, with nobody else. Why would he not have died alone, on that fateful night? 

Almost as if he knew he was the purpose of Dimitri’s anguish, Glenn glided over with concern on his face. “Dima. You doing okay? You look a little-“ Dimitri smiled weakly, brushing his hand away.

“I’m all right, Glenn, truly. I’m just a little disoriented after sleeping so. Please, go on ahead, and I’ll follow behind. You wouldn’t all want Helgenish to be upset with you, after all.”

Glenn nodded appreciatively, before rushing off to fall in line with the other dancers. Perhaps already a mite too late, as Dimitri could already hear Helgenish’s angry retorts from the entryway. Preparing himself for his usual necessary brand of deception, Dimitri did his best to plaster a mindless, coy smile across his face. The façade hardly suited him personally, but it was necessary for him to survive in this area of town.

“Helloooo, Kitten.” Dimitri internally shuddered at Helgenish’s coy, overbearing tone as he entered the dancer’s quarters. “Are you feeling suitably prepared for your duties, today?” The Taskmaster’s touch was entirely loathsome to the disgraced noble, but there was little he could do before showing his hand. So he was forced to allow Helgenish’s hands to roam down his shoulder, arm, waist, and further lower as his eyes trailed lustfully all around Dimitri’s woefully undercovered body. “You really are quite lovely, Dima. What I would give to liberate you from the masses and keep you all. For. Myself.” 

Helgenis likely supposed his tone was sultry and attractive, but Dimitri had to physically bite his own lip to keep himself from groaning in disgust. Helgenish truly was horrible with every word. “I could not dare deprive you from my own earnings,” he weakly insisted. “After all, you have done so much for me. It is only fair for me to work off my debt to you.”

Helgenish snarled. “You know what I mean, Kitten. After all, how many nights have we spent together already, hm? You’ve already shown me you can satisfy your debt in private as well as publicly.”

Dimitri became numbly aware that Helgenish was leading him out of the dancer’s room and towards the tavern regardless of his words, and all the better; as poor as the tavern dweller’s banter was, he would at least be able to stand it better than the drivel dripping from Helgenish’s mouth. “Perhaps,” he managed to choke out, “we could discuss any changes in form after my performance. We already know who the tavern dwellers are waiting for, anyways.”

“Ah, those greedy drunkards.” Helgenish lamented. “Well, I do have business to attend to in the meantime, so perhaps later to night we can meet…privately?” Dimitri nearly gagged as Helgenish released his arm to let him onto the stage.

“Yes…later tonight.” He croaked in a barely vocal whisper. He turned and nodded to the musician to begin playing, and presented himself in the center of the stage. In the light of the stage, with women and men alike staring him down in his bare clothes that merely existed to keep him from being fully nude in public, he couldn’t help but blush slightly as the choruses of praise and catcalls emerged.

“There’s our lovely Dima!”

“Go on, gorgeous, dazzle us!”

“You can come home with me, daring Dimitri!”

Dimitri couldn’t help but let in a sharp intake of breath as the music started, and he forced his mind to wander as his feet moved in accordance with the moves he had practiced so many times over. And yet, as they did…

A battlefield, burning and bloody, soldiers covering the ground more than grass did.

Seven…no, eight, faces staring back at him, filled with love and concern but otherwise indistinguishable in his mind. Who?

More corpses, more blood, and for some reason the scene was dimmed, as though he was holding his hand over one eye.

A hand, reaching out to grasp his own hand, almost seeming to glow in light.

A crowd, cheering for him as he stood over them, a conflict of emotions in his heart.

A brutal, unrecognizable monster lunging forward at him before warping into the shape of a small girl, who reached behind her back with malice and trickery in her eyes. What were these scenes, coming unbidden to Dimitri’s mind?

With a start, Dimitri realized that the music was nearing the stop and he wasn’t quite finishing his movements. Blearily, he spun on his toes with a twirl of his arms, flipping backwards with all the power he could muster in his legs to land in a spinning motion that presented out to the audience in time with the final notes. It was far from a perfect ending, but the crowd stood and cheered appreciatively regardless, save on patron who pulled at his sleeves uncomfortably before…

Dimitri nearly fell backwards from the stage in shock. It was unbelievable, impossible even, but there it was all the same. As the man pulled at his sleeve, Dimitri could see, clear as day, the mark of the crow…the same mark he had seen the day his father died. Suddenly seeming immensely more uncomfortable with the room than he had before, the man rapidly stood up, turning to leave the tavern.

Dimitri didn’t even waste a second’s hesitation. He leapt down from the stage, ignoring the patrons’ usual peals for attention and…well, less wholesome things, making his way directly to the exit where the man with the mark had disappeared. It was strictly against codes for dancers to leave immediately after a performance, but if this was the man Dimitri was searching for, then he wouldn’t have reason to stay regardless. And if it wasn’t…Dimitri recalled Helgenish’s earlier promises of taking Dimitri for himself. Shrugging with resignation, he decided he probably wasn’t long for Sunshade either way. He couldn’t continue on like this, he really couldn’t.

A hand clasped onto his shoulder, shaking him from his thought. “Hey, Dima. Where do you think you’re going?” Dimitri cursed under his breath as he turned to face Glenn.

“Glenn, please, I have to…you know I was going to leave sooner or later, and this is business you really can’t understand, and I can’t tell you. I’m sorry, really, I just-“

Dimitri jumped as Glenn put a hand over his mouth. “Dimitri, quiet. I was only going to say that I will cover for you for as long as I can. Do whatever you need to, and…” Dimitri gasped as Glenn drew him into a tight embrace, nearly squeezing the breath out of him. “Good luck.”

And with that, the other dancer pushed Dimitri lightly out the door. Dimitri spun around, confusedly waving an arm behind him in thanks. He had never truly understood Glenn, not really, but for some reason the man’s words to him…they almost made him want to cry. He shook his head angrily, chasing the tears away. He couldn’t be motivated by tears, not now. Right now, revenge was his only method. He needed to track these men down, and absolutely crush them.

His heart sank as the man entered the catacombs. Not because he thought the man could overpower him there, of course. Dimitri was a well-trained combatant, personally learning over Sir Gustave and working alongside the finest knights of Faerghus. He could hold his own in combat, no matter what. 

He shook his head. Something was wrong with that thought, but at this point he was too focused to think about it.

Regardless, he was more scared about losing the man in the catacombs. They were the most indirect route out of Sunshade, so he had to take care to keep a close eye on him at all times. By no means could he allow himself to lose the man, not here and now. And yet, his heart could only sink as he ventured further into the tombs. There were so many twists and turns, so many whispering sounds that pulled at Dimitri, making him wonder if it was some wandering beast or the man he was hunting. He could feel frustration rising as he pushed forward, doubled back, turned himself around and around, until finally he thought he saw a distant light in the tunnel. Grasping the lone dagger concealed gently in his scant clothes, he lurched forward, his heart rising in hope, dashing into the rising light to meet his foe…

“Well, well, kitten. I must say, I’m disappointed to see you here.”

Dimitri’s heart dropped as he saw the scene in front of him. There was no man with a mark. There was no vengeance. Instead, in front of him was Helgenish himself, surrounded with a small army of soldiers accompanying…protecting him. “How…?” The words left Dimitri’s mouth slowly, but he already knew the answer to his own question. Sneering, Helgenish motioned for his men to step aside, revealing the form of a dancer, bound and shivering in a heap despite the burning sands. There was a gag around his mouth, likely to prevent him from crying out to warn Dimitri, but there was no mistaking that it was Glenn. 

“This little whore wasn’t good for much, I’d say,” Helgenish snarled. “But I warrant he did well enough by letting us know what you were up to, kitten. After we roughed him up a bit, of course.” 

“Dima…”The gag had been ripped away from Glenn’s mouth now, and he had turned himself to look up at Dimitri, his eyes pleading widely. “Please…do what…you need. Don’t worry about me.” Helgenish scoffed, a mere huff of breath, and Dimitri couldn’t even scream before the taskmaster plunged a dagger of his own into Glenn’s throat, pulling it out to allow the dying dancer to choke on his own blood.

“Who would worry about you, you third-rate whore?” He spat. “Your time is used up. And there’s nothing left for you now.”

Blood rushed into Dimitri’s head as he saw the light leave Glenn’s eyes. The dancer, the soldier, lying on the ground protecting him from what? What was there that Dimitri couldn’t handle? An army? An uprising? Fire was burning around them but there was nothing to burn on the scorching sands. Men and soldiers were screaming when there was nobody but Helgenish and his troop around. Glenn was looking into his eyes, begging him to run and escape this slaughter, but wasn’t he the only one dying? And how could he speak through the hole in his throat? Overwhelmed by the surplus of information, Dimitri’s vision went red.

When his vision finally cleared, Helgenish’s soldiers were lying dead on the ground, Helgenish himself facing Dimitri’s dagger head on, quaking in his boots.

“You’re not a kitten,” he whispered, horrified. “You aren’t even a lion, or a dog. You’re a monster, you are, really. Not even that, a…boar. That’s what you are, a boar.”

Dimitri could only growl. “Where is the man with the crow marking? You have a map. Give it to me.”

Helgenish didn’t hesitate. His hands fumbled at his pockets, shakily removing a crumpled sheet of paper with an area marked on it, one far to the north. Dimitri grumbled with dissatisfaction. He would have to circle around the country to get there easily, a task easier said than done. Granted, he decided, he could find some suitable aide for his journey if he tried hard enough along the way. These crow men likely had made many enemies, and any he could get on his side would be a boon at this point.

“Please, Dima, let me be. Let me go back to the tavern, I beg you.” Helgenish’s voice was shaking, trembling with fear. “I always treated you so nicely, you know. I always wanted the best. Those other girls are nothing you know, nothing but slaves meant to be sold. I always would have-“

His words were cut off, along with his head, by Dimitri’s dagger. There was no parley, no mincing of words. For such a man, there was no forgiveness; only death to save those still remaining in this life. The dancer didn’t even look to see the body fall as he walked steadily past the scene, only pausing by Glenn’s body. Hesitantly, he picked it up, heaving it over his body as he made his way on to the next village over. He would bury Glenn’s body in a cemetery he knew lay along the way, and then it was on to his journey.

He would never forget the men who killed his father. And now, the path for his revenge was finally underway.


	2. The Compassionate Apothecary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri meets a very kind and generous apothecary in the next town he visits, and receives and unexpected offer.

Glenn was buried in an unmarked grave by the riverside. Not that Dimitri didn’t care enough to put anything, he just didn’t know enough about Glenn as a person to do anything he felt was suitable. He didn’t know anyone among Glenn’s family, he didn’t even know where the kind dancer had come from; just that he had been kind to Dimitri in Helgenish’s hellhole. And so, Dimitri had left him to be one of many graves made by the river, where those with lost loves came to mourn. 

The next town on from Sunshade was a town called Clearbook, one of the towns of the Riverlands. It was a somewhat homely town compared to Sunshade, but Dimitri had next to nothing in terms of supplies or reasonable clothing, and he desperately needed some form of assistance. And, to be quite honest, a small and quiet town would be exactly what he needed if Sunshade’s horrible atmosphere was a testament to what city living was like.

“Clearbrook?”

The woman Dimitri had caught to inquire about the town laughed nervously, as though she was not quite able to believe what she was hearing. “I’d have never imagined a…a man like you to want to go there. Well, no matter. They have quite everything a young man like you could want in terms of supplies and aid.” Her eyes fluttered suspiciously over Dimitri’s body, and suddenly he was very painfully aware of how scantily he was dressed once more. “You also looked like you got nicked up a little bit. I’d recommend seeing the apothecaries there before you leave. Zeph and Alfyn are two of the kindest and most adept healers I’ve yet to see.”

Dimitri looked over his arms and legs. The cuts weren’t particularly bad, and he doubted he needed medical attention for them, but he was prepared to fight what were likely a band of adept assassins on his journey; having an apothecary’s more potent tinctures could be a big help regardless. Perhaps it would behoove him to visit these renowned apothecaries.

When he did finally arrive at the small town, Dimitri was shocked to see that, in spite of its nature, the small and quiet village seemed absolutely in an uproar. The head of the village was running around in a frenzy, trying to calm panicking mothers and children, while some of the older women seemed to be fretting and fussing at one of the far-away houses, trying to sneak a peek of…someone?

“Excuse me,” Dimitri lay a hand on the village elder as he passed, causing him to jump back and scream in surprise before giving a slight bow as an apology. “May I ask what is going on? Your residents seem…somewhat worried, for some reason.”

A look of sorrow passed the elder’s face. “Oh, lands, I’m sorry for the ruckus kind sir,” he apologized. “But ‘tis a hard day for us today. One of best and brightest apothecaries- Zeph, by the name- his sister got bit by a Blotted Viper on the way to pick ‘im some pretty flowers. Poor boy’s near beside himself with worry, and the village too, besides.”

Distantly, Dimitri saw a young man burst through the door of the house, brushing the older women away, before rushing to the side of a young girl crying by the riverside. He seemed like a plain an ordinary young fellow, bright and cheerful with his perky green eyes and rush of clean, silver hair.

…Silver hair?

The world seemed to almost snap for a moment, as if something previously had caused it to bend and stretch and it was only now returning to a semblance of its former reality. Dimitri pressed a hand to his head in an attempt to relieve the strange feeling, but still…

“Ah, there’s young Ashe himself,” the village head tutted. “Second only to Cristophe himself in terms of the apothecary craft, you know. But he more than makes up for it in heart, always willing to help whoever he needs.” Dimitri shook his head, suddenly confused.

“I’m sorry…Ashe? Cristophe? Who…?” The village head tutted again.

“Lands sakes, lad, didn’t ya hear? The prime apothecaries of the Riverlands, Ashe and Cristoph! They’re like brothers, they are, and have all the heart and soul to make healin’ a passion more than a profession. I sure am proud of them, I am.”

Something about that seemed…wrong, somehow, but Dimitri couldn’t concentrate on it. Right now, he felt a need to go talk to the young apothecary…Ashe. Something about that name rang in his head. And as he got closer, seeing more features of his face, the ringing got louder. The slight freckles dotting his nose, the optimistic smile even as he consoled the crying girl by the river, even the flash of his green eyes as he saw Dimitri approach…

The image Dimitri had while he was dancing popped into his head again, unbidden. Eight strangers, all completely foreign and unknown, peering back at them with murky, unrecognizable faces…until one began to glow, it’s features brightening and resolving as it matched the one he was looking at, curious and concerned.

“…Ashe?” He didn’t know why he asked the name, he already knew what it was, and yet somehow it seemed unnecessarily familiar on his tongue.

“Dimitri.” Ashe said this without hesitation, before suddenly clutching his hand to his own head. “Ah! What?” He shook his head quickly, as though trying to dislodge a bug, before looking back at Dimitri completely mystified. “How did I…?” He blinked twice, then his face went beet red. “Uhhhhh….”

Dimitri looked down, and slowly felt his face turn a similar shade of red himself. He was always somewhat aware of his…lack of clothing, but he hadn’t particularly noticed what his battles along the way to the small town, as well as his sudden rush to see Ashe had done to him. At this point, he was downright indecent to the public eye, for lack of a better term.

“Erm…I don’t suppose this town has any supplies for clothing or protection? I may not be the most well-presented person at the moment.”

Ashe nodded, desperately looking away from the dancer. “You’ll find some robes and uniforms in the local armory. They shouldn’t be particularly expensive and aren’t very comfortable, but they’ll get the job done.” Saying that, he turned away, seeming to make for a path that lay on the other end of the town. Dimitri grabbed his arm, holding him back.

“Hold on, now. Where exactly do you think you’re going?” 

Ashe was apparently still not comfortable with the likes of Dimitri touching him, as he turned bright red again at the dancer’s touch. “I-I-I need to help out Nina. That’s Cristophe’s sister, the one who got bit, you know. To whip up a cure, I need the venom of the type of snake that bit her, and I happen to know where the general location is.” 

Dimitri tilted his head, trying to sift through memories. He wasn’t a snake expert, but for some reason the name “Blotted Viper” sounded…

“Isn’t that snake a little large for someone like you? You could get pretty hurt, don’t you think?” Ashe shrugged, not seeming particularly worried about the concept either way. Dimitri shook his head. “Wait for me to go buy something slightly more presentable. I’ll join you the moment I have everything settled, and then I won’t be sitting here worrying about some noble apothecary killing himself for some snake venom, all right?”

**

“So, Ashe. I have to ask you a question.” As the two walked down the path Ashe had led him to, Dimitri shifted in his new clothing, which covered his body much more modestly than his previous garb while allowing his dancing’s full effects regardless. The shirt he wore covered his chest fully as opposed to the simple strip of fabric that may as well have not existed, and his lower half was covered by leggings that allowed him freedom of movement while being much less…exposed. At the very least, it made Ashe slightly more comfortable around him.

“When I mentioned your name, and you mentioned mine, you seemed…confused, a little. I was wondering, does something seem…off, about me?” Ashe immediately shook his head and opened his mouth, but Dimitri held his hand out, stalling him. “I ask because I thought the exact same when I saw you. You seem…familiar and not, at the same time. Like I should know you and yet for some reason, I don’t.” Now Ashe tightened the set in his jaw, and looked down at his feet.

“Well, it might sound strange, but…when I saw you, I saw things that didn’t make sense at all. It’s a little weird, and definitely disturbing, but…oh, I don’t know, it feels like an out of body experience for me.”

Dimitri paused before he asked the next question. “Did you see…anyone else?” Ashe’s flinch told him all he needed to know. “Besides you and me, I saw seven other people. I won’t pretend it makes sense, but…I think they may all be here. And I want to find them, if it’s possible.”

Ashe laughed hollowly. “Find people whose faces you can’t recognize? Good luck with that, Your High-“ Blinking rapidly, he shook his head. “Er, Dimitri. Sorry about that.” From there, the silence remained until they reached a small cave, where Ashe motioned Dimitri over. “This is where the blotted viper lives. It’s a little dangerous, so, I hope you-“ A glare from Dimitri reminded Ashe of the state he had come to the town in, and he blushed. “Right, well, try not to kill it. It’s venom is incredibly valuable, after all.” 

The cave itself was surprisingly spacious compared to what Dimitri expected, and he could see snakes hissing and reeling back all around him out of the corners of his eyes. Suddenly, he felt very happy to have an apothecary like Ashe right next to him. He could kill all the snakes here easily, but avoiding their poison was another matter altogether. Eventually they reached the end of the cave, only to find a massive boulder blocking the exit.

“Well, that’s poor luck,” Dimitri complained. “How are we supposed to get the snake when we-“ He was interrupted by Ashe shouldering him aside confidently, removing two bottles and a small instrument from his pack as he approached the bottle. “Ashe?”

“Shhh” Ashe shushed Dimitri as he turned towards the boulder. “You’ll wake it up if you talk like that.”

“Wake it-“ This time, it was Dimitri who silenced himself as his eyes adjusted to the light. As he stared, the boulder’s rough edges became sharpened scales. Its compressed exterior became coils of skin, and the flattened tapering off towards the cave’s floor suddenly looked suspiciously like the head of a snake. “Goddess. That’s terrifying. You say that thing bit her and didn’t swallow her whole?”

“It may not have been this exact snake,” Ashe commented as his tools began to drain the snake’s venom from its maw, somehow miraculously keeping from waking the monstrous form. “But it’s the easiest one to find with the most potent venom. It’s prime material.”

“I see.” Dimitri responded, backing away. “And you’re prepared for us to fight it?”

“Possibly,” Ashe commented passively. “But it’s more for insurance than for us really having to battle it. As long as we don’t do something sudden to wake it, we should be fine.” And with that, he began to rise up, capping off a bottle filled with a eerie looking liquid. “And there we go. Now, shall we-?”

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Dimitri felt the rattle through his bones as the giant viper reared up. His maw opened dangerously, clearly annoyed at its sudden loss of venom. 

“Hey, Ashe…do you think we might be able to continue this conversation back at your village?” Ashe turned and looked back at the snake, and Dimitri saw his face go pale and slack as he looked at the towering serpent.

“Uh…yes, let’s.”

**

The night was a long one, with Dimitri waiting in Christophe’s house as the owner worked alongside Ashe to work out a cure for the girl. The hands of both were blurs on the apothecary’s table, chopping and mixing and blending ingredients to work into a liquid medicine…a vulnerary? Dimitri shook his head. 

No, that wasn’t quite right. An antitoxin, or some other form of antidote? The words and thoughts jumbled in his head as Christophe gently poured the mixture down his sister’s throat. The effect was thankfully instantaneous, and even Dimitri could see as color returned to the poor girl’s face. Standing up, he clapped Ashe’s shoulder.

“If that’s all you needed help with, Ashe, I may rest for the night,” he whispered in the quiet night. “I’m really exhausted, and I need to make my way to Stillsnow early on. I trust you won’t need help with anything else?” A questioning light entered Ashe’s eyes, and he squinted at Dimitri, a long hard quint that made Dimitri feel uncomfortable. “Unless…there’s something you wanted to discuss…?”

Ashe shook his head. “Let me talk to you in the morning. Frankly, I’m really exhausted right now myself, and I don’t think I can make a rational decision right now myself.” Hearing this, Christophe looked over his shoulder with a look of concern on his face, but he presently turned to care over his sister without either noticing.

The morning came sooner than Dimitri quite wanted, and he rose to a complete apathy towards leaving. There was still so much he wanted to hear from Ashe, so much more he wanted to learn, and…

No.

The thought came unbidden to his head, the image of his father being cut down, in his own room, at the hands of three men who bore the mark of a crow. The emotions rolled off him, newly fresh as his resolve to leave renewed. He couldn’t stay and repack, he couldn’t talk, he had to leave as soon as-

He burst out his door to see two horses freshly packed and waiting for him, a silver haired youth poised ready to knock.

“Um…Dimitri? Are you…okay?”

Dimitri blinked rapidly as he took in the sight. “Um…yes. What are you…?”

Ashe blushed furiously, rubbing the back of his neck. “W-well, we never did get to talking about what we know about each other…er, why we know each other, that is. So I thought I’d just…travel along with you. Maybe we could find that answer, you know?” Dimitri opened his mouth to respond, but Ashe was too quick on the uptake. “I was also planning on travelling anyways, really. Chris has got things locked down here pretty well, and I want to make my mark as an apothecary. I…take it, given your state when you got here, you aren’t planning on taking a peaceful path…?”

Dimitri almost lied, but something in Ashe’s eyes kept him from it. He simply nodded, and Ashe’s eyes lit up. “Well, then I’ll be there to patch you up, good as new! And hey, we may meet more people out there that are connected to us. You can do your thing, and I’ll watch out for the people we come across. Deal?”

The young apothecary held out his hand, and for a moment Dimitri was tempted to decline. His path was certainly dangerous, and he frankly didn’t have the right to drag someone like Ashe along for it. And yet…there was something in those eyes. Something reliable, something solid. Against his better wishes, Dimitri held out his hand. 

“Deal.”


End file.
